Chapter 6

The carriage stopped a while later in front of a famous dessert shop in the city center, called ‘Sugar’.

Since the shop was located in the most coveted area of the street, it was always bustling with customers and passersby, creating a lively atmosphere.

It was, therefore, the worst possible place for a matchmaking meeting due to the many prying eyes.

“Which is why I chose it, haha.”

She stepped out of the carriage with a satisfied smile.

Instantly, all eyes turned to her. Though the whispers were hushed, she could still hear them.

“Isn’t that Lady Shaterian Melis?”

“My goodness. How much do you think all of that costs?”

Such murmurs reached her ears.

‘I should’ve toned down my makeup.’

Her peacock-like, extravagant makeup suddenly felt a bit embarrassing.

Feigning nonchalance, she entered the shop and spotted Bruf, seated by the window.

Dressed neatly, his striking good looks stood out from afar. The other patrons inside the shop kept sneaking glances at him. And when their eyes met his, they didn’t know where to look.

‘Bruf is undeniably handsome.’

If she had seen him in her previous life, she would have fallen for him a hundred times over.

But now, seeing Orgon or Eched every day had dulled her senses.

She felt no particular excitement.

Without hesitation, she approached Bruf.

Noticing her, Bruf stood up and greeted her with a slight smile.

“My Lady, you’ve arrived.”

Hmm, perfect.

A polite gentleman and an arrogant noblewoman.

The perfect ingredients for gossip.

She blatantly ignored his greeting and took a seat. Unfolding the fan she brought with her, she covered her mouth, her gaze looking down on him as if he were beneath her.

She perfectly reenacted the demeanor of the old ‘Shaterian.’

“Is this the first time since you graduated from the Academy?”

“Yes. However, I’ve occasionally seen you at the Imperial Palace, my lady.”

“Hmm, is that so? I don’t recall seeing you. You have such an unremarkable presence, after all.”

She narrowed her eyes into crescent shapes, openly mocking him.

“Pardon? Ah… haha… I do tend to blend into the background. Oh, my mady, what would you like to have? This shop is known for its fruit syrup teas and strawberry cakes with buttercream.”

Bruf awkwardly laughed and swiftly changed the subject.

He deliberately listed desserts loaded with sugar.

She frowned and asked sharply.

“Are you doing this on purpose?”

“Excuse me?”

“I’m asking if you’re intentionally recommending teas and desserts like that, knowing I dislike sweets.”

“Not at all. I only recommended them because they’re famous here. I had no idea you disliked sweets, my lady.”

“You didn’t know…? So you didn’t even bother to research your matchmaking partner’s preferences? Isn’t it basic courtesy to learn about the other person? Are you careless, or just plain stupid?”

“I-I’m sorry. Truly, I thought you chose this location because you liked sweet desserts, my lady.”

Bruf bowed his head and pitifully explained. To an outsider, his act might have seemed entirely convincing.

“Some things never change. Always the same.”

“…Excuse me?”

“Do I need to repeat myself twice for you to understand? I said, you haven’t changed. You still look as dim-witted as ever. How someone like you ended up affiliated with the Imperial Palace is beyond me.”

“…”

“And now you dare to covet the position of my husband? Judging by your presence here, I assume you have some powerful backer in the Imperial Court?”

“Absolutely not!”

Bruf shouted in alarm.

She snapped her fan shut and spoke firmly.

“I’ll have to inform His Majesty when I return. I’ll tell him to dismiss the sycophant who recommended you. That would be the only way to make up for the wasted time and effort I’ve spent.”

At her taunting words, Bruf’s face crumpled. Unable to hold back any longer, he retorted.

“My lady, you are as rude as ever.”

“And you, who dare call me rude, still don’t know your place.”

Neither of them averted their eyes from the other.

The murmurs around them grew louder.

‘This should be enough, right?’

Hearing some insults directed at her among the whispers, she decided it was sufficient.

The rumors would likely spread and grow exaggerated.

She stood up, signaling that she had no intention of continuing the conversation.

As she was about to leave the shop, Bruf blocked her path.

This was an unplanned move, catching her off guard.

She looked at Bruf with startled eyes.

“Why… Move aside.”

“My lady.”

‘Why? What are you trying to do?’

Seeing the determined look on his face, unease crept over her.

And sure enough, with a thud! Bruf knelt forcefully on the ground. She didn’t even have time to stop him.

Gasp! The onlookers collectively let out a shocked cry.

Gasp! She was just as stunned.

A noble kneeling in public!

What on earth are you doing, Bruf? This is too much! How much more of a villain are you trying to make me out to be?!

“What are you doing? Get up.”

Forgetting her act, she hurriedly grabbed Bruf’s arm to lift him. But Bruf didn’t budge.

“My lady, it’s all my fault. I was the one who acted arrogantly, so I will take the punishment. But please… please spare the Earldom.”

He begged so earnestly.

She understood his intention.

By doing this, even if Shaterian tried to harm the Earldom, the Emperor would intervene.

Moved by the sight of him kneeling, the Emperor would likely take pity on him.

She understood, but the prospect of the inevitable scolding made her head spin.

“Fine. Fine, now get up.”

“Do you mean it?”

“Yes, really! I won’t do anything to the Earldom or to you. So get up already.”

She gritted her teeth and applied more strength to her hand. This time, he obediently rose.

‘I’ve essentially traded one achievement for my eardrums’ peace.’

She couldn’t understand why she had to endure such sacrifice for the sake of one accomplishment.

‘Why? For independence, of course. Physical distance from Eched!’

She clung to her resolve for independence, steadying her wavering mind.

She glared at Bruf before turning sharply and leaving the shop.

The people lined up outside the shop all looked as if they had seen a ghost.

Suppressing her rising irritation, she walked away from the shop.

“My lady, the carriage is over there.”

After walking a bit, a knight from the Ducal family appeared. It seemed her sister had ordered him to secretly keep an eye on her.

She shook her head at him, who was trying to guide her to the carriage.

“I’m not going back to the Ducal residence.”

If she returned now, she’d undoubtedly face a barrage of scolding.

“Then I’ll escort you to the Imperial Palace.”

“I’m not going there either.”

It was the same there.

If news of her arrival at the palace spread, they’d come looking for her immediately.

Not to mention, she’d also have to endure Orgon’s teasing.

“Return to the Ducal residence without me.”

“I cannot leave your side, my lady.”

“Go back, I said.”

“I cannot comply.”

Realizing further argument was pointless, and lacking the energy for more bickering, she waved dismissively.

“Fine. Then follow me as if you’re not even there.”

This, at least, seemed acceptable, as he obeyed her order to keep his distance.

She wasn’t particularly interested in sightseeing, but since it had been a while since she’d been outside, she decided to take a walk.

Wandering aimlessly, she ended up at the central plaza.

She plopped down on a bench in front of the grand fountain.

If only she had a friend, she could’ve gone to visit them. For the first time, she regretted not having any friends.

Though the plaza was crowded, it didn’t feel overwhelming. People sat along the riverbank, each enjoying their leisure time.

The blue sky and slow-moving white clouds blended seamlessly with the sounds of conversation, laughter, and birds chirping.

“The weather is annoyingly nice.”

As she closed her eyes and enjoyed the gentle breeze, a shadow suddenly fell over her face.

Opening her eyes, she saw Eched standing in front of her.

The sun behind him cast a shadow over his face, but his striking features couldn’t be obscured.

His slightly furrowed brows gave him a displeased look.

“My lady, what are you doing here?”

“And what about you, Commander? What brings you here?”

It was the heart of the city.

For someone like Eched, who detested crowded places, encountering him here was rare, if not unheard of.

“I came to meet someone. But I asked you first.”

Meeting someone outside?

‘Let’s not be curious.’

She closed her eyes again and muttered.

“Photosynthesizing.”

“Photosynthesizing? You’re not a plant. You can’t photosynthesize.”

His serious response made her pout.

Fine, you win.

“Just soaking in the sunlight.”

So please, leave me alone. Don’t ruin my peaceful weekend.

“Is it because of the commotion?”

“Commotion?”

“I heard about it on my way here. There was quite a stir at Sugar.”

For someone who claimed to have little interest in people, he sure picked up on rumors quickly. Likely thanks to his heightened senses.

“It was just a small incident.”

“They say the Earl’s second son knelt and begged for forgiveness. And you call that a small incident?”

“That was entirely his doing.”

‘And I feel unjustly accused for it too.’

“…Fine. But being in a place like this, dressed like that, is dangerous. You should return now.”

His gaze swept over her excessively luxurious attire.

“That’s the perfect outfit to get kidnapped in.”

His voice was firm and certain.

The most common crimes were those motivated by money.

Even though the Imperial Knights were involved in maintaining public order, as long as slums existed, such crimes would never disappear.

But still, what does that have to do with you…?

She looked at Eched, who showed an unusual interest in her, with incredulous eyes.

“There’s a knight escorting me nearby, so it’s fine.”

“Even so, you should leave. I’ll escort you to your carriage.”

Why is he acting like this, all of a sudden?

“I’m not planning to return just yet.”

“It’ll be more dangerous after sunset. So, you should leave now.”

“I intend to stay a little longer.”

“Why?”

“Why? Because I don’t feel like going home.”

If she went back now, she’d face an endless barrage of scolding. There was no reason to go back on purpose. If possible, she’d prefer to stay out all night.

“My lady, you don’t feel like going home today either.”

She narrowed her eyes at Eched. His words brought back memories of what he’d said that day.

Something about her throwing a tantrum, saying she didn’t want to go home or sleep in the guest room.

“What’s the reason you don’t want to go home?”

That day, there had been no clear reason. Today, it was simply to avoid the scolding.

She had no intention of explaining, so she shook her head.

“I didn’t know you were so interested in me, Commander.”

“Me? Don’t be ridiculous. It’s just simple curiosity.”

“Yes, yes. I understand that you aren’t interested in me, Commander. So, I’ll stay here a bit longer before heading back.”

“That won’t do. You should leave now.”

“Oh, for… Ugh.”

There was no reasoning with him.

As she pondered how to shake him off, a hand suddenly reached out in front of her.

It was a large hand, covered by thick brown gloves.

Eched always wore long clothes and gloves, avoiding direct contact with people’s bare skin.

Following the hand with her gaze, she met his resolute eyes.

It was clear he had no intention of letting her stay.

“Fine, fine. I’ll leave.”

In the end, she reluctantly stood up. She ignored his hand, not wanting to touch it even over the gloves.

She gestured to the knight who had been watching from a distance. He stepped forward to guide her to the carriage.

Eched followed closely behind her.

Even as she climbed into the carriage, his gaze remained fixed on her, as if to ensure she returned home safely.